FLOWER ANATOMY parts of a flower Anatomy of a Flower The Basic Flower Parts The flower consists of many different parts. Some of the most important parts being separated into both male and female parts. Male Parts Stamen This is the male part of the flower. It is made up of the filament and anther, it is the pollen producing part of the plant. The number of stamen is usually the same as the number of petals. Anther This is the part of the stamen that produces and contains pollen. It is usually on top of a long stalk that looks like a fine hair. Filament This is the fine hair-like stalk that the anther sits on top of. Female Parts Pistil This is the female part of the flower. It is made up of the stigma, style, and ovary. Each pistil is constructed of one to many rolled leaflike structures. Stigma One of the female parts of the flower. It is the sticky bulb that you see in the center of the flowers, it is the part of the pistil of a flower which receives the pollen grains and on which they germinate. Style Another female part of the flower. This is the long stalk that the stigma sits on top of.

Ovary The part of the plant, usually at the bottom of the flower, that has the seeds inside and turns into the fruit that we eat. The ovary contains ovules. Ovule The part of the ovary that becomes the seeds. Other Important Parts of a Flower Petal The colorful, often bright part of the flower. They attract pollinators and are usually the reason why we buy and enjoy flowers. Sepal The parts that look like little green leaves that cover the outside of a flower bud to protect the flower before it opens. Flower Types Imperfect Flower A flower that has either all male parts or all female parts, but not both in the same flower. Examples: cucumbers, pumpkin, and melons. Perfect Flower A flower that has both the male parts and female parts in the same flower. Examples: roses, lilies, and dandelion. Anther - definition of anther by The Free Dictionary Anther - definition of anther by The Free Dictionary Related to anther: anther culture an·ther n. The pollen-bearing part of a stamen.

[Medieval Latin anthēra, pollen, from Latin, a medicine extracted from flowers, from Greek, from feminine of anthēros, flowery, from anthos, flower.] anther (ˈænθə) n (Botany) the terminal part of a stamen consisting usually of two lobes each containing two sacs in which the pollen matures [C18: from New Latin anthēra, from Latin: a remedy prepared from flowers, from Greek, from anthēros flowery, from anthos flower] ˈantheral adj the pollen-bearing part of a stamen. [1545–55; < New Latin anthēra < Greek, feminine of anthērós flowery, akin to antheîn to bloom] an′ther•al, adj. an·ther (ăn′thər) The pollen-bearing part at the upper end of the stamen of a flower. See more at flower . anther A pollen-producing part of flower, found at the tip of the stamen.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend: anther - the part of the stamen that contains pollen; usually borne on a stalk stamen - the male reproductive organ of a flower reproductive structure - the parts of a plant involved in its reproduction Translations n (Bot) → Staubbeutel m, → Anthere f (spec) anther Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us , add a link to this page, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content . Link to this page: cleistogamy References in classic literature ? We might have taken the case of insects visiting flowers for the sake of collecting pollen instead of nectar; and as pollen is formed for the sole object of fertilisation, its destruction appears a simple loss to the plant; yet if a little pollen were carried, at first occasionally and then habitually, by the pollen-devouring insects from flower to flower, and a cross thus effected, although nine-tenths of the pollen were destroyed, it might still be a great gain to the plant; and those individuals which produced more and more pollen, and had larger and larger anthers, would be selected.

Some holly-trees bear only male flowers, which have four stamens producing rather a small quantity of pollen, and a rudimentary pistil; other holly-trees bear only female flowers; these have a full-sized pistil, and four stamens with shrivelled anthers, in which not a grain of pollen can be detected. science test on parts of the flower - StudyBlue Good to have you back! If you've signed in to StudyBlue with Facebook in the past, please do that again. science test on parts of the flower science test on parts of the flower Jordan T. Size: 24 Views: 14 stamen male organ of the flower that consists of a thin stalk like filament with a terminal sac called the anther Anther The part of a stamen that contains the pollen. Advertisement ) Ovary part of the plant at the base of the pistil that contains the egg. after fertilization the ovary turns into fruit pistil it is the female part of he flower it consists of the ovary containing the seeds and the stigma pollen the tiny particles the contain male sex cells.

pollen develops on the anthers, pollen must be transported to the pistil in another flower sexual reproduction pollen form an anther is transported to the stigma then the pollen grain (male part) forms a tube down to the ovary and the egg and sperm unite to make a baby plant egg potential seeds found within the ovaries of a plant Filament The stalk of a stamen it elevates the anther stigma is the tip of the pistil that is often sticky and receives the pollen grain petal each of the segments of the corolla of a flower, which are modified leaves and are typically colored Outermost, leaf like covering of a flower; usually green. Green, Outermost nectar n. A sweet liquid produced by many flowering plants. It is used by bees to make honey.

pollination the transfer of male pollen grains from the anther in one flower to the stigma on the female pistil in another flower Advertisement process in which male and female reproductive cells join to produce a new cell petal-attract pollinators sepal-close flower and protect it while growing stamen: anther-make sperm, filament-attach anther to plant MALE PARTS carpel: stigma-where pollen grain lands, style and ovary-eggs made FEMALE PARTS Flower-Function Reproduction through pollination, fertilization, fruits, and seeds Flowers can be produced annually, biannually, and every 15-100 years PLANTS: flower parts/function sepal: encloses flower till it opens petal: bright to attract pollinators(wind pollinated flowers lack color) stamen: male organ, has anther where pollen is created and filament to hold anther carpel/pistil: female organ, has sticky stigma at tip to receive pollen and style that leads to ovary at base of carpel Explain Fertilized Ovule A microspore needs to develop into a pollen grain, which is a male gametophyte enclosed within the pollen wall.

The pollen wall containing polymer sporopollenin protecets the the pollen grain during transport. Pollination occurs and if the pollen grain germinates it will begins growing a pollen tube, which discharges sperm into the ovule. methods of pollination animal- bees, bats, birds, butterflies, moths, flies, beetles, other more animal than wind or water, mostly bees describe various methods of fruit/seed dispersal: animals, wind, water, explosive fruits, wind -dandelion the ripened ovary of a plant containing the seeds explain why it is important for seeds to get dispersed its important because if the plants didn't get dispersed, then the plants wouldn't be able to make little baby plants. so then all the plants would die and we would have no more plants living because the male part couldn't reach the female part. * The material on this site is created by StudyBlue users. StudyBlue is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by the academic institution or instructor. Words From Our Students "StudyBlue is great for studying. I love the study guides, flashcards and quizzes.

So extremely helpful for all of my classes!" Alice , Arizona State University "I'm a student using StudyBlue, and I can 100% say that it helps me so much. Study materials for almost every subject in school are available in StudyBlue. It is so helpful for my education!" Tim , University of Florida "StudyBlue provides way more features than other studying apps, and thus allows me to learn very quickly!??I actually feel much more comfortable taking my exams after I study with this app. It's amazing!" Jennifer , Rutgers University "I love flashcards but carrying around physical flashcards is cumbersome and simply outdated. StudyBlue is exactly what I was looking for!" Justin , LSU Flower | Article about flower by The Free Dictionary Flower | Article about flower by The Free Dictionary Also found in: Dictionary , Thesaurus , Medical , Legal , Idioms , Wikipedia . flower, name for the specialized part of a plant containing the reproductive organs, applied to angiosperms only. A flower may be thought of as a modified, short, compact branch bearing lateral appendages. Like twigs, flowers develop from buds, and the basic floral parts (sepal, petal, stamen, and carpel) are in actual fact greatly modified leaves.

A typical flower is a concentric arrangement of these parts attached at their base to the receptacle, the tip of the stem. Outermost is a whorl of leaflike green sepals (the calyx) encircling a whorl of usually showy, colored petals (the corolla). Within the corolla the stamens, bearing anther sacs full of pollen pollen, minute grains, usually yellow in color but occasionally white, brown, red, or purple, borne in the anther sac at the tip of the slender filament of the stamen of a flowering plant or in the male cone of a conifer. ..... Click the link for more information. , surround the central carpels (ovary). Inside the ovary at the base of the pistil are the ovules, containing the female sex cells; after fertilization of the egg, the ovule becomes the seed seed, fertilized and ripened ovule, consisting of the plant embryo, varying amounts of stored food material, and a protective outer seed coat. Seeds are frequently confused with the fruit enclosing them in flowering plants, especially in grains and nuts. ..... Click the link for more information.

and the ovary becomes the fruit fruit, matured ovary of the pistil of a flower, containing the seed. After the egg nucleus, or ovum, has been fertilized (see fertilization) and the embryo plantlet begins to form, the surrounding ovule (see pistil) develops into a seed and the ovary wall (pericarp) around the ..... Click the link for more information. . The ovary and stamens are termed essential flower parts, the petals and sepals accessory parts. The number and arrangement of the floral organs vary considerably among the many families and orders of plants and are used in the classification of plants; they also indicate the degree of evolution of the plant. In general, the higher a plant is on the evolutionary scale, the greater is the flower's complexity. The basic number of parts differs from class to class and from family to family; in monocotyledonous plants the parts generally occur in groups of three or in multiples of three, and in dicotyledons more often in groups of two, four, and five.

Flowers may be staminate (lack carpels), carpellate, or both; staminate and carpellate flowers may appear on the same plant, on separate plants, or in the same inflorescence. One type of inflorescence, characteristic of the parsley family, is the umbel, in which the tiny florets are borne on separate stalks radiating out from the stem tip. Sometimes the parts serve unusual purposes: the true flowers of the dogwood and the poinsettia are inconspicuous, and the showy "petals" are really modified leaves called bracts. In the jack-in-the-pulpit the florets are clustered on a spike canopied by a large bract, the spathe; the hood of the lady's-slipper, on the other hand, is a modified sterile stamen. Grass inflorescences are tiny spikelets sheathed by protective scales called glumes (the chaff or grain). Flowers have been cultivated and bred for their beauty and their perfume from earliest times and have accumulated a vast and intricate treasury of symbolic associations derived from legend and folklore.

Individual flowers have been celebrated in heraldry ( rose rose, common name for some members of the Rosaceae, a large family of herbs, shrubs, and trees distributed over most of the earth, and for plants of the genus Rosa, the true roses. ..... Click the link for more information. ), in religion (lotus), and in politics ( violet violet, common name for some members of the Violaceae, a family of chiefly perennial herbs (and sometimes shrubs, small trees, or climbers) found on all continents. Violets, including the genus Viola ..... Click the link for more information. ) and have become emblems for many countries, including Switzerland (edelweiss), France (fleur-de-lis), Scotland (thistle), the Netherlands (tulip), and the United States (see state flowers state flowers. Each state of the United States has designated, usually by legislative action, one flower as its floral emblem; the rose has been designated by Congress as the national flower of the United States. ..... Click the link for more information. ). Bibliography See S. Buchmann, The Reason for Flowers (2015).

Flower A higher plant's sexual apparatus in the aggregate, including the parts that produce sex cells and closely associated attractive and protective parts (Fig. 1). “Flower” as used in this article will be limited, as is usual, to the angiosperms, plants with enclosed seeds and the unique reproductive process called double fertilization. In its most familiar form a flower is made up of four kinds of units arranged concentrically. The green sepals (collectively termed the calyx) are outermost, showy petals (the corolla) next, then the pollen-bearing units (stamens, androecium), and finally the centrally placed seed-bearing units (carpels, gynoecium). This is the “complete” flower of early botanists, but it is only one of an almost overwhelming array of floral forms. One or more kinds of units may be lacking or hard to recognize depending on the species, and evolutionary modification has been so great in some groups of angiosperms that a flower cluster (inflorescence) can took like a single flower.

Flower structure, median longitudinal section Flora diversity Most botanical terms are descriptive, and a botanist must have a large store of them to impart the multiformity of flowers. The examples that follow are only a smattering. An extra series of appendages alternating with the sepals, as in purple loosestrife, is an epicalyx. A petal with a broad distal region and a narrow proximal region is said to have a blade and claw: the crape myrtle has such petals. The term perianth, which embraces calyx and corolla and avoids the need to distinguish between them, is especially useful for a flower like the tulip, where the perianth parts are in two series but are alike in size, shape, and color. The members of such an undifferentiated perianth are tepals. When the perianth has only one series of parts, however, they are customarily called sepals even if they are petallike, as in the windflower. A stamen commonly consists of a slender filament topped by a four-lobed anther, each lobe housing a pollen sac.

In some plants one or more of the androecial parts are sterile rudiments called staminodes: a foxglove flower has four fertile stamens and a staminode. Carpellode is the corresponding term for an imperfectly formed gynoecial unit. A gynoecium is apocarpous if the carpels are separate (magnolia, blackberry) and syncarpous if they are connate (tulip, poppy). Or the gynoecium may regularly consist of only one carpel (bean, cherry). A solitary carpel or a syncarpous gynoecium can often be divided into three regions: a terminal, pollen-receptive stigma; a swollen basal ovary enclosing the undeveloped seeds (ovules); and a constricted, elongate style between the two. The gynoecium can be apocarpous above and syncarpous below; that is, there can be separate styles and stigmas on one ovary (wood sorrel).

Placentation: (a) parietal, (b) axile, and (c) free central Every flower cited so far has a superior ovary: perianth and androecium diverge beneath it (hypogyny). If perianth and androecium diverge from the ovary's summit, the ovary is inferior and the flower is epigynous (apple, banana, pumpkin). A flower is perigynous if the ovary is superior within a cup and the other floral parts diverge from the cup's rim (cherry). A syncarpous ovary is unilocular if it has only one seed chamber, plurilocular if septa divide it into more than one. The ovules of a plurilocular ovary are usually attached to the angles where the septa meet; this is axile placentation, a placenta being a region of ovular attachment. There are other ways in which the ovules can be attached—apically, basally, parietally, or on a free-standing central placenta—each characteristic of certain plant groups (Fig. 2).

The term bract can be applied to any leaflike part associated with one or more flowers but not part of a flower. Floral bracts are frequently small, even scalelike, but the flowering dogwood has four big petallike bracts below each flower cluster. The broad end of a flower stalk where the floral parts are attached is the receptacle. The same term is used, rather inconsistently, for the broad base bearing the many individual flowers (florets) that make up a composite flower like a dandelion or a sunflower. Sexuality A plant species is diclinous if its stamens and carpels are in separate flowers. A diclinous species is monoecious if each plant bears staminate and carpellate (pistillate) flowers, dioecious if the staminate and carpellate flowers are on different plants. The corn plant, with staminate inflorescences (tassels) on top and carpellate inflorescences (ears) along the stalk, is monoecious. Hemp is a well-known dioecious plant.

Nectaries Flowers pollinated by insects or other animals commonly have one or more nectaries, regions that secrete a sugar solution. A nectary can be nothing more than a layer of tissue lining part of a floral tube or cup (cherry), or it can be as conspicuous as the secretory spur of a nasturtium or a larkspur. It can be a cushionlike outgrowth at the base of a superior ovary (orange blossom) or atop an inferior ovary (parsley family). Gladiolus and a number of other monocotyledons have septal nectaries, deep secretory crevices where the carpels come together. Substances that give off floral odors—essential oils for the most part—ordinarily originate close to the nectar-producing region but are not coincident with it. Production by the epidermis of perianth parts is most common, but in some species the odor emanates from a more restricted region and may even come from a special flap or brush. Most insect-pollinated plants have visual cues, some of them outside the human spectral range, as well as odor to bring the pollinators to the flowers and guide them to the nectar.

See Secretory structures (plant) Inflorescence Inflorescence structure, the way the flowers are clustered or arranged on a flowering branch, is almost as diverse as floral structure. To appreciate this, one need only contrast the drooping inflorescences (catkins) of a birch tree with the coiled flowers of a forget-me-not or with the solitary flower of a tulip. In some cases one kind of inflorescence characterizes a whole plant family. Queen Anne's lace and other members of the parsley family (Umbelliferae) have umbrellalike inflorescences with the flower stalks radiating from almost the same point in a cluster. The stalkless flowers (florets) of the grass family are grouped into clusters called spikelets, and these in turn are variously arranged in different grasses. Flowers of the arum family (calla lily, jack-in-the-pulpit), also stalkless, are crowded on a thick, fleshy, elongate axis.

In the composite family, florets are joined in a tight head at the end of the axis; the heads of some composites contain two kinds, centrally placed florets with small tubular corollas and peripheral ray florets with showy, strap-shaped corollas (the “petals” one plucks from a daisy). See Inflorescence Anatomy Some of the general anatomical features of leaves can be found in the floral appendages. A cuticle-covered epidermis overlies a core of parenchyma cells in which there are branching vascular bundles (solitary bundles in most stamens). Sepal parenchyma and petal parenchyma are often spongy, but palisade parenchyma occurs only rarely in flowers and then only in sepals. As in other parts of the plant, color comes mostly from plastids in the cytoplasm and from flavonoids in the cell sap. Cells of the petal epidermis may have folded side walls that interlock so as to strengthen the tissue.

In some species the outer walls of the epidermis are raised as papillae; apparently, this is part of the means of attracting pollinators, for the papillae are light reflectors. Stamen As a stamen develops, periclinal divisions in the second cell layer of each of its four lobes start a sequence that will end with the shedding of pollen. The first division makes two cell layers. The outer daughter cells give rise to the wall of the pollen sac, and the inner ones are destined to become pollen after further divisions. When mature, a pollen sac typically has a prominent cell layer just below a less distinctive epidermis. The inner wall and the side walls of an endothecium cell carry marked thickenings, but the outer wall does not. Splitting of the ripe anther is due partly to the way in which these differentially thickened walls react to drying and shrinking and partly to the smaller size of the cells along the line of splitting. See Pollen Carpel Like other floral parts, a carpel is made up of epidermis, parenchyma, and vascular tissue.

In addition, a carpel commonly has a special tissue system on which pollen germinates and through which, or along which, pollen tubes are transmitted to the ovules. Most angiosperms have solid styles, and the transmitting tissue is a column of elongate cells whose softened walls are the medium for tubal growth. The epidermis at the stigmatic end of a carpel usually changes to a dense covering of papillae or hairs; the hairs can be unicellular or pluricellular, branched or unbranched. In taxa with hollow styles, the transmitting tissue is a modified epidermis running down the stylar canal. There are two kinds of receptive surfaces, and they are distributed among the monocotyledons and the dicotyledons with taxonomic regularity. One kind has a fluid medium for germinating the pollen, and the other has a dry proteinaceous layer over the cuticle. The proteins of the dry stigmas have a role in the incompatibility reactions that encourage outbreeding. Ovule Ovule development usually takes place as the gynoecium forms, but it may be retarded when there is a long interval between pollination and fertilization (oaks, orchids).

A typical ovule has a stalk (funiculus), a central bulbous body (nucellus), and one or two integuments (precursors of seed coats), which cover the nucellus except for a terminal pore (micropyle). Orientation of the ovule varies from group to group. It can be erect on its stalk or bent one way or another to differing degrees. There are also taxonomic differences in the extent to which the ovule is vascularized by branches from the gynoecial vascular system. See Fruit , Reproduction (plant) Flower a short, limited-in-growth reproductive shoot that performs the functions of microsporogenesis, megasporogenesis, pollination (effected by pollen carrier-agents), fertilization, embryonic development, and fruit formation. The flower is borne at the end of a main or lateral stem. The peduncle, the part of the stem that bears the flower, is usually leafless. Often it is very short and barely visible; in this case the flower is said to be sessile, or attached. The peduncle becomes the short axis of the flower, which is called the flower receptacle, or torus.

The variously shaped receptacle is usually broader than the peduncle and is characterized by barely noticeable internodes. Its nodes bear all the various parts of the flower: the sterile sepals and petals and the fertile stamens and carpels. The sepals, which together form the calyx, usually serve as protective organs of the flower, especially before blooming; they often also function as supplementary organs of photosynthesis. The sepals often become petallike, taking on the functions of petals (for example, in Clematis). In some instances, through the process of evolution, the sepals have concresced into a synsepalous calyx. The petals, which serve to attract pollinators, are collectively known as the corolla. The calyx and the corolla together make up the perianth. When the flower has both a calyx and a corolla, the perianth is said to be double. A simple perianth is one in which the petals are absent or in which there are no marked differences between the calyx and the corolla. In the center of the flower are located the stamens and carpels. The stamens are microsporophylls both in function and in origin.

The most primitive ones, as seen in a number of representatives of the families Magnoliaceae and Winteraceae, consist of a broad ribbonlike membrane equipped with four linear microsporangia that are approximate in pairs and that are more or less embedded in the tissue of the membrane. In the course of evolution the stamens gradually became differentiated into the filament and the anther, which consists of two halves joined by a continuation of the filament. The stamens are known collectively as the androecium. The filaments often concresce together or with elements of the perianth or carpels. Sometimes the stamens concresce together by both the filaments and anthers or by the anthers only. The carpels consist of highly modified and specialized megasporophylls. A single carpel is often called a simple pistil (the term “pistil” is used in various senses, often creating confusion). The most primitive type of carpel is retained in the genera Degeneria (family Degeneriaceae) and Tasmania (family Winteraceae).

It consists of a short stalk and a relatively thin adaxially folded (conduplicate) membrane; externally it strongly resembles the conduplicate leaves folded into the bud. Along the carpel pass three conducting bundles (veins), of which the middle or dorsal one branches profusely. Between the middle and lateral veins are numerous ovules. In the early stages of development the margins of the carpels of Degeneria almost do not touch each other; protection of the ovules during flowering is ensured by the proximity of the broad lateral parts of the carpel, which are located between the carpel’s margins and placentas. These approximate internal surfaces concresce only after flowering, that is, during fruit development. The most diverse stages of concrescence are observed in other representatives of Winteraceae. In all flowering plants the carpel has a special glandular tissue, called the stigma, that serves to capture pollen. In Degeneria and Tasmania the stigma is primitive and extends the entire length of the carpel. The upper part of the carpel usually extends into a slender, sterile columnar process, which supports the stigma above the ovary—the fertile part of the carpel—and serves as a passageway to the pollen tube.

This specialized process is called the style or the stylodium (in which case the term “style” is only used in reference to concresced stylodia). In the early stages of evolution, the style is characterized by a descending stigma; in later stages the stigma gradually becomes localized at the top. The aggregate of carpels in the flower is called the gynoecium. The most primitive types of gynoecia with free carpels are called apocarpous; such gynoecia characterize Magnolia, Ranunculus, and Paeonia. In the process of evolution the carpels gradually concresced among themselves, and from the apocarpous gynoecium there emerged the coenocarpous gynoecium, in which the stylodia are free, or concresced to form the style. The evolution of both the coenocarpous and apocarpous gynoecia was usually accompanied by a decrease in the number of carpels and, in most cases, in the number of ovules.

An extreme form is the pseudomonomerous gynoecium, in which a single carpel is fertile and completely developed (as seen in elm, mulberry, nettle, and hemp). Most flowers have nectaries—special excretory organs for the production of nectar. Nectaries originated in the most diverse forms in the evolution of flowering plants and on the most diverse morphological bases, that is, on the most diverse parts of the flower. Primitive types of flowers are characterized by a relatively long receptacle, but in some cases, for example, in Myosurus and some Magnolia, there is a greatly elongated receptacle of secondary origin. In the process of evolution there has been a gradual shortening of the receptacle, as a result of which the flower parts have grown closer together and the initial spiral formation has changed to a cyclic one. The parts of a cyclic flower are usually arranged in whorls; less commonly, they are opposite. Cyclic flowers are found more frequently than spiral ones. In an intermediate position are spirocyclic flowers, such as those of Ranunculus.

Primitive flowers are actinomorphic (regular); that is, they can be divided by a vertical plane passing through the symmetrical axis into equal halves in no less than two directions. Owing to the biology of pollination, actinomorphic flowers gave rise to zygomorphic (irregular) ones, which can be divided into two halves only in a single direction (for example, the blossom of the sweet pea or snapdragon). In contrast to actinomorphic and zygomorphic flowers, which are both symmetrical, there are also asymmetrical flowers, which cannot be divided into two equal halves by a plane of symmetry (for example, cannas). Flowers may be bisexual or unisexual. Unisexual flowers originated from bisexual ones as a result of the reduction of the stamens in some cases and of the carpels in others. Unisexual flowers often retain the rudiments of stamens and carpels. It is conjectured that the flower is descended from the reproductive shoots of the supposed ancestors of flowering plants—seed ferns. As a result of shortening, the shoot axis was converted into a receptacle.

Simplification of the segmented microsporophylls and megasporophylls resulted in the simple unbranched stamens and carpels of flowering plants. (The hypothesis that the flower is descended from the strobile of Cycadaceae, Gnetaceae, or Bennettitaceae is improbable.) The evolution of the flower, like the evolution of the strobiles of various groups of gymnosperms, set off in various directions. Thus, current theories are based on the proposition that the fundamental parts of the flower—the stamens and carpels—are descended from the sporebearing organs of the ancestors of flowering plants. It is difficult to say with certainty whether these primitive spore cases were somewhat rounded or flat or whether they were achlorophyllous or green. It is most probable that they consisted of flat and more or less simplified, possibly lobular, sporophylls, which, especially if they were megasporophylls, probably partially performed the function of photosynthesis. REFERENCES Flowers (dreams) When we look at flowers, most of us feel some joy and vitality. At the very least, we appreciate their beauty and see their value.

Flowers are beautiful and in our dreams they could represent the simplest feelings of contentment or the deepest feelings of spiritual completeness. A circular flower is a friendly sign that could be the “mandala” symbol or the symbol of wholeness that represents the “psychic center of the personality.” Additionally, the colors could symbolize the psychic centers in our bodies called chakras. Flowers also represent hope and positive growth, along with simplicity, innocence, and possibly virginity. Anthers - definition of Anthers by The Free Dictionary Anthers - definition of Anthers by The Free Dictionary n. The pollen-bearing part of a stamen. [Medieval Latin anthēra, pollen, from Latin, a medicine extracted from flowers, from Greek, from feminine of anthēros, flowery, from anthos, flower.] anther (ˈænθə) n (Botany) the terminal part of a stamen consisting usually of two lobes each containing two sacs in which the pollen matures [C18: from New Latin anthēra, from Latin: a remedy prepared from flowers, from Greek, from anthēros flowery, from anthos flower] ˈantheral adj the pollen-bearing part of a stamen.

[1545–55; < New Latin anthēra < Greek, feminine of anthērós flowery, akin to antheîn to bloom] an′ther•al, adj. an·ther (ăn′thər) The pollen-bearing part at the upper end of the stamen of a flower. See more at flower . anther A pollen-producing part of flower, found at the tip of the stamen. ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend: anther - the part of the stamen that contains pollen; usually borne on a stalk stamen - the male reproductive organ of a flower reproductive structure - the parts of a plant involved in its reproduction Translations n (Bot) → Staubbeutel m, → Anthere f (spec) anther Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us , add a link to this page, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content . Link to this page: cleistogamy References in classic literature ?

We might have taken the case of insects visiting flowers for the sake of collecting pollen instead of nectar; and as pollen is formed for the sole object of fertilisation, its destruction appears a simple loss to the plant; yet if a little pollen were carried, at first occasionally and then habitually, by the pollen-devouring insects from flower to flower, and a cross thus effected, although nine-tenths of the pollen were destroyed, it might still be a great gain to the plant; and those individuals which produced more and more pollen, and had larger and larger anthers, would be selected. Some holly-trees bear only male flowers, which have four stamens producing rather a small quantity of pollen, and a rudimentary pistil; other holly-trees bear only female flowers; these have a full-sized pistil, and four stamens with shrivelled anthers, in which not a grain of pollen can be detected. The Structure and Functions of Flowers The Structure and Functions of Flowers The Female Reproductive Organ: The Carpel The female parts of a flower consist of an ovary, which contains one or more ovules, a style and the stigma. The ovary is at the base of the flower.

From the ovary, extends a tubular structure called the style and on the top of the style is a surface receptive to pollen called the stigma. The stigma can take many different forms, most of them designed to help trap pollen. There are many variations on this basic structural theme. After fertilization the ovule becomes the seed and the ovary becomes the fruit. The Male Reproductive Organ: The Stamen The male parts of a flower consist of one or more stamens. Each stamen is made up of paired anthers (sacs containing pollen) on a filament or stalk. The anthers are the orange/yellow structures often seen in the centre of a flower. Pollen from the anthers of one flower is transferred to the stigma of another usually either by wind, or by animals, especially insects. PETALS, COROLLA, SEPALS, CALYX The reproductive structures in higher plants are contained within flowers. Flowers have more than one petal, and the flower petals are collectively called the corolla. A flower bud is protected by green leafy structures called sepals. Collectively, all of the sepals form the calyx. The corolla or petals are often brightly coloured with markings attractive to insects.

The flowers may also be scented. For instance, Honeysuckle has showy, attractive flowers which attract insects by day. However, in the dark, their colourful show is not much use, and their heady scent then helps to attract night-flying moths. In insect-pollinated plants, there are also usually nectaries which secrete sugary nectar, located within the flower. These provide an incentive to insects to visit the flowers. In the search for nectar, the insects will often get pollen grains caught on their bodies. This may then brush off onto the stigma of the next flower visited and in this way the flowers are pollinated. The receptacle is the place on the stem where floral organs originate and attach.ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ Formation of Sex Cells The sex cells of the flowering plant are called gametes. There are both male and female gametes thus the flower undergoes sexual reproduction. Male Gametes Pollen Formation: Development Of A Pollen Grain Within The Pollen Sac Of An Anther:ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ A cross section of the developing anther displays four chambers. These chambers are called pollen sacs (see upper illustration).

Each pollen sac is filled with cells containing large nuclei. As the anther grows, each of these cells goes through two meiotic divisions, forming a tetrad. These cells are called microspores. Each one of these microspores eventually becomes a pollen grain. Each pollen sac is enclosed by a protective epidermis and a fibrous layer. Inside the fibrous layer is the tapetum. This is a food store and will provide energy for future cell divisions. Each pollen grain is surrounded by a tough protective wall called an exine. This is a tough covering that allows the pollen grain to survive harsh conditions for long periods of time. The intine is another thin protective coating. First, each nucleus divides by mitosis to become two nuclei. One is the tube nucleus. The other is a generative nucleus.ï¿½ The wall of the cell thickens to protect the developing pollen grain. As the anther ripens, the wall between the paired pollen sacs disappears. The pollen sacs burst open and the mature pollen grains are ready for dispersal. Development of the Embryo Sac Each ovary contains one or more ovules. The green structure at the top of the diagram is the ovule.

The integuments are the 2 walls of the ovule. There is a small opening in the walls called a micropyle. This is where the pollen tube will enter. (Will be discussed later.) The nucellus is cells that provide nutrition for the growth of the ovule. The embryo sac, also known as the megaspore, divides by meiosis to form 4 haploid cells. Three of these cells degenerate and one remains. Only one megaspore survives in each ovule. This becomes the embryo sac. The haploid nucleus of the surviving megaspore undergoes three mitotic divisions. Eight haploid nuclei are now present. Within the swollen ï¿½megaspore cellï¿½ six haploid cells and two ï¿½polar nucleiï¿½ are formed. The entire structure is called the embryo sac. One of the cells near to the micropyle end of the ovule is the haploid female gamete (egg cell). ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ The Carpel With a Mature Embryo Sac will appear as shown below: Pollination Pollination is the transfer of pollen (male gamete) from the anther to a stigma.

Cross-pollination: pollen is transferred to the stigma of another plant. Increases genetic variation, population more resistant to environmental change.ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ Self-pollination: pollen transferred to the stigma of the same flower or a flower of the same plant. Guarantees reproduction if pollinating agent is absent or not efficient. Pollination can be accomplished by the wind or by animals. Insects are the most common animals that will pollinate a carpel. The most sophisticated relationships between plants and insects are generally those involving bees. Bees collect pollen and nectar not only for themselves but also to feed their young. For this reason bees have developed a number of adaptations that make them particularly good pollen carriers. Bees have special hairs that are arranged to form pollen 'baskets' on their hindlegs and the underside of their abdomen. These adaptations allow them to gather and carry large volumes of pollen.

Bees are ideal pollinators because they visit many flowers while carrying lots of pollen, before returning to their nest. So the chance that a bee will transfer the pollen between flowers of the same species is very high. Many insects eat pollen. In the process of eating they become covered in it. Pollination happens when the pollen feeder transfers the pollen to the pollen receivers of the same plant, or another plant of the same species, as the insect looks for more pollen to eat. Fertilisation ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ Fertilisation is the union of the male and female gametes to form a zygote. Since the male and female gametes are haploid (n) when the two unite the zygote is diploid (2n). Fertilisation starts when a pollen grain lands on the stigma. The pollen grain then grain germinates forming a pollen tube. The tube nucleus controls the growth of the pollen tube. The pollen tube is an example of chemotropism since it is growing toward chemicals produced from the ovule. The generative nucleus travels down the pollen tube.

It undergoes mitosis forming two haploid male gamete nuclei. The pollen tube enters the ovule by way of the micropyle. The two male gamete nuclei are released into the embryo sac. The tube nucleus disintegrates. Double Fertilisation ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ Since there are 2 sperm nuclei that have reached the embryo sac both nuclei will fuse with female gametes. One sperm nuclei will fuse with the egg cell to form the zygote (2n) while the other sperm nucleus fuses with the 2 polar nuclei in the embryo sac to form an endosperm nucleus (3n). Click here to view an animation of double fertilisation Seed Formation The fertilized becomes the seed. The integuments become the wall of the seed called the testa. The micropyle closes. The endosperm nucleus leads to the formation of triploid endosperm, a food tissue. The diploid zygote, by mitosis, develops into a plant embryo. The developing embryo draws nourishment from the endosperm. The embryo ceases development and goes dormant.

The ovule becomes a seed, which contains a dormant plant embryo, food reserve, and the protective coat called the testa. The Embryo ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ The embryo is made up of the radicle or future root and the plumule or future shoot. The endosperm cells divide many times and absorb the nucellus. This is the nutrition (mainly fats, oils and starch) for the embryo. ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ There are 2 types of seeds. Some are endospermic while others are non-endospermic.ï¿½ In endospermic seeds the food reserve is the endosperm, which is outside the plant embryo. Examples of this type of seed are maize and wheat. Non-endospermic seeds have food reserve within the cotyledon(s) of the plant embryo. This occurs in broad beans.

Monocots and Dicots ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ Monocots have one cotyledon in the seed while dicots have two cotyledons. The cotyledons are food reserves for the young plant after it germinates from the soil. It uses these food reserves until it is capable of making its own food. In monocots the food is absorbed from the endosperm while in dicots the food is stored in the cotyledons.

Monocotï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ Dicot Fruit Development The ovary becomes a fruit. The wall of the ovary becomes the wall of the fruit called the pericarp. The fruit protects the developing seeds and plays an important role in seed dispersal. This process is controlled by auxins produced by the seeds. Once the fruit forms the rest of the flower parts die and fall away. Fruit and Seed Dispersal Seed dispersal is the scattering of offspring away from each other and from the parent plant.

As a result of dispersal there is an improved chance of success by reducing competition and overcrowding. Dispersal also enables colonisation of new suitable habitatsï¿½ and thus, there is an increased chance of species survival. Methods of Seed Dispersal Wind: The seeds of wind-dispersed plants are lightweight seeds. They have a high air resistance so they can be carried far away from the mother plant. ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ Water Dispersal Fruits which float such as those of the water lily and the coconut palm are carried by water. Coconuts can travel for thousands of kilometres across seas and oceans. The original coconut palms on South Sea Islands grew from fruits, which were carried there from the mainland by ocean currents. Mangroves in the swamp regions of countries such as Thailand are another example. Some plants have juicy fruit that animals like to eat. The animal eats the fruit but only the juicy part is digested.

The stones and pips pass through the animal's digestive system and are excreted to form new plants. This can be far away from the parent plant. Blackberry, cherry and apple seeds are dispersed in this way. Birds also like to eat fruit and they help to disperse seeds to other areas through their droppings. Mistletoe has sticky fruits that are attractive to birds. The sticky seeds stick to the bird's beak. They then rub their beaks clean on the bark of trees. The sticky seeds are left on the bark to grow into new mistletoe plants - mistletoe is a parasitic plant. Squirrels collect nuts like acorns and bury them for winter food, but they often forget where they have buried them and these grow into new trees. Some fruits like that of the burdock plant have seeds with hooks. These catch on the fur of animals and are carried away. Self-Dispersal: Some plants have pods that explode when ripe and shoot out the seeds. Lupins, gorse and broom scatter their seeds in this way. Pea and bean plants also keep their seeds in a pod.

When the seeds are ripe and the pod has dried, the pod bursts open and the peas and beans are scattered. Dormancy ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ Dormancy is a period of inactivity. There is very little cellular activity and no growth. One or many of the following reasons bring about dormancy: Auxins that inhibit growth- Growth Inhibitors The testa is impermeable to water and oxygen- The testa will eventually break down and allow water and oxygen into the seed. The testa may be too hard for the embryo to germinate. An Auxin (Growth Regulator) may be absent until suitable environmental conditions develop. Germination ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ The embryo will germinate from the seed if the proper environmental conditions are present. When this occurs the embryo resumes its growth. In order for germination to occur the following conditions must be present: Water must be present. This allows the seed to swell and enzymes to function. Oxygen must be present in the soil. The temperature must be suitable for the species of plant.

Suitable temperatures are usually between 5-30 degrees Celsius depending on the species. The dormancy period must be complete. Some seeds need light and others need darkness. Events of Germination ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ When germination begins the first thing that happens is water is absorbed by the seed through the micropyle and through the testa. Enzymes in the soil now digest the foods stored in the seeds: ï¿½ Oils become fatty acids and glycerol ï¿½ Starch becomes glucose ï¿½ Protein becomes amino acids ï¿½ These foods now are absorbed by the embryo. ï¿½ The glucose and amino acids make new structures such as cell walls and enzymes.ï¿½ ï¿½ The fats and glucose are used in cellular respiration to produce energy. ï¿½ The stored food of the seed is being used up as the embryo grows larger. ï¿½ The radicle grows larger and breaks through the testa. It becomes the roots of the new plant. ï¿½ The plumule grows larger and emerges above the ground. ï¿½ Leaves form.

ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ Germination occurs differently in different plants. In some plants the cotyledon remains underground while in other plants the cotyledon emerges above ground. The diagrams below show these 2 methods of germination. Click here to see an animation of: Staminate | Article about staminate by The Free Dictionary Staminate | Article about staminate by The Free Dictionary stamen, one of the four basic parts of a flower flower, name for the specialized part of a plant containing the reproductive organs, applied to angiosperms only. A flower may be thought of as a modified, short, compact branch bearing lateral appendages. ..... Click the link for more information. . The stamen (microsporophyll), is often called the flower's male reproductive organ. It is typically located between the central pistil and the surrounding petals.

A stamen consists of a slender stalk (the filament) tipped by a usually bilobed sac (the anther) in which microspores develop as pollen pollen, minute grains, usually yellow in color but occasionally white, brown, red, or purple, borne in the anther sac at the tip of the slender filament of the stamen of a flowering plant or in the male cone of a conifer. ..... Click the link for more information. grains. The number of stamens is a factor in classifying plant families, e.g., there are 5 (or multiples of 5) in the rose family and 10 in the pulse family. In most flowers the stamens are constructed so as to promote cross-pollination and to avoid self-pollination; e.g., they may be longer than the pistil or may be so placed in relation to the pistil (as in the mountain laurel and the lady's-slipper) as to prevent the pollinating insect from transferring the pollen of a flower to its own pistil. There may be differing maturation times for the stigma of the pistil and for the anther.

In some plants there are some flowers (staminate) that bear stamens and no pistil and others (pistillate) that have a pistil and no stamens; these flowers may be borne on the same or on separate plants of the same species. In some highly developed flowers, especially double ones, and in some horticultural varieties (e.g., the geranium) the stamen may be modified into a sterile petallike organ. Stamen the reproductive organ of the flower of angiosperms in which the pollen grains are formed. The stamen is homologous to the microsporophyll. A typical stamen consists of an anther filament, which contains a vascular bundle, and an anther, the symmetrical halves of which are joined by a strand attached to the anther filament. Microspores are formed from the cells of the archesporium after meiosis. In each of the four nidi of the anther (microsporangia), the microspores sprout into male gametophytes—pollen grains. The aggregate of stamens of a flower is called the androecium.

The stamens are arranged on the torus spirally (as in many Ranunculaceae) or in circles. Stamens arranged spirally may range from one to numerous; those arranged in a circle usually number from three to ten. Stamens may concresce with the anthers (Compositae), the filaments (legumes), or entirely (some Cucurbitaceae). They sometimes concresce with other parts of the flower, for example, the corolla (many sympetallous plants) or the pistil (some Orchidaceae). A. N. S

Question: In a flower, what name is given to the terminal part of a stamen, in which the pollen grains are produced?
Answer: ANTHER